David Herman scoured the record books for the good signs—and the bad
THE BAD NEWS
Clean sheets Under Capello England have only kept a clean sheet seven times (in 24 matches). More worrying, those seven teams were Andorra (twice), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.
Ineffective Heskey Emile Heskey has scored seven goals in 58 games for England
Old men Four players in the squad of 23 are under 25. 13 are 29 or over. The average age of the squad is 28.7 – the oldest ever England World Cup squad.
The "Graeme Hick factor" Under Capello, in their eight matches against the world’s top ten they have drawn once and lost four times.
Don't leave Wembley In 2009 and 2010 England have played six matches away from home. They have only won twice: against Japan (on Sunday) and Kazakhstan.
THE GOOD NEWS
Experience
Four players in the squad of 23 are under 25. 13 are 29 or over. With an average of almost 40 caps, it is the most experienced ever England World Cup squad.
Continuity England’s squad of 23 includes nine players who have played at least 15 times for Capello. Gareth Barry has played the most times – 20, followed by Rooney (19), Lampard and Terry (18), Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Gerrard (17).
Hard to beat Under Capello, England have lost only four times in 24 matches
Holding their own Under Capello, in their eight matches against the world’s top ten England have won three times and they have beaten three other teams in the top 20 (Egypt, Mexico and USA).
Heskey the talisman Heskey played when England beat Germany 5-1 and both times England thrashed Croatia in the qualifying matches, 4-1 and 5-1. He didn’t play when England lost at home to Croatia (Crouch and Defoe) or when England went out of the 2006 World Cup to Portugal (Owen and Rooney).
THE BAD NEWS
Clean sheets Under Capello England have only kept a clean sheet seven times (in 24 matches). More worrying, those seven teams were Andorra (twice), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA.
Ineffective Heskey Emile Heskey has scored seven goals in 58 games for England
Old men Four players in the squad of 23 are under 25. 13 are 29 or over. The average age of the squad is 28.7 – the oldest ever England World Cup squad.
The "Graeme Hick factor" Under Capello, in their eight matches against the world’s top ten they have drawn once and lost four times.
Don't leave Wembley In 2009 and 2010 England have played six matches away from home. They have only won twice: against Japan (on Sunday) and Kazakhstan.
THE GOOD NEWS
Experience
Four players in the squad of 23 are under 25. 13 are 29 or over. With an average of almost 40 caps, it is the most experienced ever England World Cup squad.
Continuity England’s squad of 23 includes nine players who have played at least 15 times for Capello. Gareth Barry has played the most times – 20, followed by Rooney (19), Lampard and Terry (18), Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Gerrard (17).
Hard to beat Under Capello, England have lost only four times in 24 matches
Holding their own Under Capello, in their eight matches against the world’s top ten England have won three times and they have beaten three other teams in the top 20 (Egypt, Mexico and USA).
Heskey the talisman Heskey played when England beat Germany 5-1 and both times England thrashed Croatia in the qualifying matches, 4-1 and 5-1. He didn’t play when England lost at home to Croatia (Crouch and Defoe) or when England went out of the 2006 World Cup to Portugal (Owen and Rooney).
